


The Lost Art Of Romancing a Commander

by Nievia



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Grilling Out, M/M, Manly Men, Marriage Proposal, Misunderstandings, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, R76bigbang, Reaper76 Reverse Bang, They don’t know how to deal with emotions these poor men, Vacation, competitions, domestic life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 09:57:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12702504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nievia/pseuds/Nievia
Summary: Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison decide to take a much needed vacation, but Gabe has some plans of his own. Jack is suspicious for all the wrong reasons while Gabriel struggles to find the right time to propose.For the Reaper76 Reverse Bang!





	The Lost Art Of Romancing a Commander

**Author's Note:**

> Eyyy! Long time no see. I’ve been a bit busy, but when I saw sign-ups for the R76 Reverse Bang I couldn’t resist.
> 
> This fic is based off of Brewhay’s art (which I’ll add a link to later when it’s posted).
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

Jack still hated flying, even after becoming a soldier with countless flier miles under his belt -- which only increased when he became the Strike-Commander of Overwatch. Luckily, this trip was different, and there was no mission or meetings waiting for him at the end of it.

Just a nice, week-long vacation with his aloof boyfriend. He glanced at said boyfriend, who sat next to him flipping through a magazine, eyes glazed and unattentive to the contents.

Both of them looked ridiculous. As leaders of Overwatch and Blackwatch, he and Gabriel needed disguises for at least part of their trip. When glancing at Gabe he was reminded of his large, bright green (what colour/pattern) sweater patterned with multicolored triangles, light-washed jeans, and the ugliest pair of glasses Jack had ever seen, large enough to be small teacup-saucers and perhaps just as thick. It was a stark contrast to the combat gear or dark hoodie-jeans combo Gabriel frequented and quite frankly suited.

Jack felt much more comfortable with his own disguise, himself; he had the typical tourist-businessman look of khakis and a rather festive button-up with prints of flamingos and tropical parrots all over it. The colors suited his skin, he thought, and the flamingos were charming -- even more so when paired with the fact that he had time to spend with his boyfriend. Being alone with Gabriel was a rare occasion he didn’t intend to pass up, even if he had been acting strange lately.

Jack thrummed his fingers on the armrest, remembering how Gabriel had tripped all over himself when returning from a mission and Jack was there, waiting for him. Agent McCree had snickered at him, but Gabriel hadn’t even snapped at him for it over his hurt pride and instead laughed with him as he picked his way towards Jack. Or that one late-night visit to Jack’s office, where he seemed taken off-guard by Jack’s presence there and even hid something from him. He stuttered something about how he needed some files that Jack ended up not having and then left in a hurry. For a black ops commander, he was terrible at lying to his significant other.

At first, he had thought Gabe was going to break up with him, but then he told him about the trip. But oddly enough, his boyfriend’s behavior had changed even more after he accepted going on the trip with him. Perhaps it was being away from work that made him so jittery -- they almost never got vacations, but it was as if Gabriel had never been on one with the way he was acting. Had his parents been poor? Had they not allowed it? Or, maybe, they had depended on him for money, in some way? He blinked, watching clouds pass by and worrying at his lip. LA had a pretty wide range of organized crime, last time he checked, and Gabriel specialized in covert operations.

He turned to Gabriel, the movement quick enough to catch Gabe’s attention. “Are you from a crime syndicate in LA?”

Gabriel put his magazine down, dog-earring the page he left off on as if it really mattered. “Planes still make you crazy, I see.”

Jack was all at once thankful for his fear of flying. After all, if Gabe really was apart of a crime syndicate, he couldn’t have him thinking that he knew. Not until the time was right, at least.

He took the excuse, grateful for the scapegoat, and glared at Gabe with no real conviction. “Says the man who refuses to get on boats,”

“That was one time, and that water was dark as shit.”

Jack rolled his eyes and took to looking out of the window, a short smile on his lips. The man could crawl through sewer pipes with a knife in his mouth if he needed to, but a boat on a dark closed-off body of water was too much. Something about recurring dreams of monsters hiding just beneath the surface of the water as a child. He had told Jack about it, once, but the details were fuzzy, and Gabriel was always indignant about it so he hadn’t bothered asking again.

Gabe sighed, closed the magazine he had been reading, and smacked Jack’s hand on the armrest between them like he was scolding a child. “We’re on vacation, relax a little, won’t you?”

“I’ll relax when we get to the hotel,”

Leaning close, Gabriel grinned. “You’ll have me all to yourself, Strike-Commander.”

Jack had half a mind to tell him that he wasn’t interested in having him all to himself, just to poke at his fragile ego, but instead kept up the ruse of strict strike-commander and gave him a scathing look. “We’re supposed to be incognito, Mr. Black Ops Specialist. Just in case you forgot.”

Gabe laughed at that and settled back into his seat. He tapped his foot beneath the seat, looking out the window, “I have a feeling you’ll have a great time.”

Jack held back a frown, noting the weird behavior. “Reyes, I swear to god, if you jinx my vacation I’ll have to kick your ass.”

Gabe wagged his finger, re-opening his magazine, not even bothering to look at him. “Ah, we’re incognito, remember?”

He rolled his eyes, snatching the magazine from Gabe’s hand and turning it to a random page, pretending to preoccupy himself with the lives of overrated superstars. Instead, he found rows upon rows of as-seen-on-TV products and blinked in confusion. How the hell had he been reading this for over an hour without making fun of a single product and sharing with Jack? Were there even enough products to occupy that much time? He felt Gabriel’s eyes on him, and his foot nudge the side of his boot, to which he kicked back. Gabe snorted, moving to read over his shoulder for the remainder of the flight, the weight of his head resting on his shoulder welcoming. Jack tried to shove him off, but Gabriel saw the vague hint of a smile on his lips and persisted until Jack gave up. The rest of the flight went on quiet and easy, Jack only complaining once of the pain in his shoulder due to Gabriel’s weight.

***

Jack wolf-whistled when he and Gabriel stepped into the living room of the beach house they had rented out for the week. The decorations, though fairly generic, were beautiful. A metallic blue vase with shimmering circles swirling over the surface sat in the middle of a light-stained wood coffee table, holding an arrangement of fake flowers. The couch was the color of blue seafoam with a sandy white blanket folded neatly on top of the cushions. Paintings of beachy landscapes and tall lighthouses or buckets of shells hung on the wall as if you couldn’t look outside and see practically the same thing. Jack stood in the doorway of the living room for a long moment just to take it all in. Gabe wondered if Jack was impressed by the change of scenery that made it so refreshing rather than actual good choice in interior design but smiled nonetheless at the reaction.

Jack finally stepped further inside, stretching his arms above his head and popping his joints, “Damn, I’m glad we’re off that plane.” He grumbled, eyes gazing longingly at the couch.

Clapping him on the back, Gabe threw him off balance and watched Jack stumble and straighten up with a much-appreciated glare. He winked, and the glare turned into a Category 4 scowl. “Careful there,” he said, “Looks like you’re falling for me.”

Jack groaned, “God that was awful. Why didn’t I think of that?”

Gabe shrugged, “Because I’m better at it.”

“That’s a bold-faced lie. I just rubbed off on you,” Jack grumbled.

Gabriel’s smile broadened, another joke on the tip of his tongue before Jack pushed his shoulder.

“Don’t even.”

Gabe raised his hands defensively, “Whatever you say, Strike-Commander,” he took a step back, his hand shifting to the handle of his suitcase, and waggled his eyebrows, “I’m gonna get settled in the bedroom if you want to join me.”

Jack didn’t take the bait, instead opting to push him in the direction of the bedroom, “Good, get out of my hair so I can explore the rest of the house.”

He laughed but waited until Jack had meandered into what looked to be the kitchen before snatching up his and Jack’s luggage and hurrying into the bedroom. He made sure to close the door behind him with a soft click prior to getting to work, which didn’t lend itself to being simple when the door had a squeaky handle which rested slightly out of place unless you lifted the door into the lock. He tossed Jack’s bag onto the bed and then crouched to unzip his large suitcase. He had insisted on packing his own, though surely between both of their packing skills they could’ve fit all their items in one bag.

That had made his stomach flop with anxiety, especially when Jack questioned him as to why he was so persistent on not sharing. He frowned, Jack wouldn’t catch on, not from something that small, and began digging through his clothes, ruining the neat order his folded clothes were in. For a long moment, he sat there, making a mess of his clothes and searching for something that seemed to be evading his grasp. He scrunched up his face.

“Don’t tell me I forgot it…” he grumbled to himself. His breath quickened the longer it took to find it. His heart thumped heavy within his chest. He shoved aside a pair of dark jeans. He tossed a pair of socks onto the floor next to him. His hands began to shake, only a little, until they bumped something more firm than any of the clothes he had packed.

His shoulders dropped in relief, smiling as he retrieved the small box from his suitcase. It looked tiny in his large palm, the dusky gray velvet exterior soft against the callouses formed on his hand. He held it up to his face for a moment, admiring the simplicity of the box. It was funny, how something so small could hold something so important -- and so damn expensive -- inside. But it had been worth it. The whole trip would be worth it. That is, if Jack accepted.

Behind him, the handle of the door squeaked and he jumped up, whirling to face the door. And then he realized that he was still holding the box. His eyes flicked over possible hiding places in the room. Where the hell am I supposed to put this?

He spotted a small houseplant and shoved the box right in the middle of it and turned just as the door opened. He was quick to turn his back to the plant.

Jack raised an eyebrow at Gabriel, who stood stock-still, eyes enlarged by the shitty pair of glasses he still wore.

“What are you doing?”

“Watering the plant,” he said, though his voice was clipped, short as if he was holding his breath.

Jack’s mind flashed with images of Gabriel dropping some sort of cache of goods in the plant’s pot, and he opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and instead stepped towards his bags. Gabriel didn’t move, his shoulders stood high and tense, his spine straight, his hands hidden within the pockets of his jeans.

Had he been about to make a dead drop? But why would he do it so soon after arriving? Surely, whatever these criminals were holding over his head was something big. Perhaps they had even threatened his family. Jack wanted to ask, kept flicking his eyes to check Gabriel’s position, to try and see if there was anything on his clothes that he could point out. But everything, save for his boyfriend’s demeanor, was normal.

“I’m pretty sure that’s a fake plant, Reyes.”

Gabriel looked back at the hiding spot for a split second, unblinking, “Fake? Why the hell would I be watering a fake plant?”

Jack raised an eyebrow with amusement, “You tell me.”

“It’s a real plant, Jack,” he replied, with all the dead seriousness he could muster for what was obviously green polyester in a garden pot.

Jack held up his hands. “Alright, if you say so. Now, do you want dinner or not? They have a grill in the backyard and I plan to use it.”

Gabriel grinned, “Grill-off?”

“I was thinking teamwork.”

Lie, thought Gabriel. He and Jack had displayed “teamwork” before on the grill, and it was mostly Jack smacking his hand away from the steaks saying something about how he could season them better. Or, the one time Gabriel dared to touch the corn and wrapped it in less tin-foil to cook better, Jack had gone so red in the face it was frightening the guests.

But Gabriel was never one to back down from a challenge, even when on vacation.

“I’ll make hot wings if you make steaks,” Gabriel suggested.

Jack knew a dare when he saw one. His eyes flashed, “No,” he said, “Let’s both make steaks and see who is the better cook.”

“I thought you didn’t want a grill-off?”

“It isn’t a grill-off, just friendly competition.”

Gabriel scoffed at that, nudging Jack’s shoulder, “You afraid to admit it’s a competition because you’re gonna lose?”

Jack scowled, crossing his arms over his chest, the alleged dead drop forgotten at the face of a good old-fashioned grill-off with his boyfriend. “I don’t have a statue of myself because I lose battles.”

Gabriel winked, “Don’t get your hopes up too high, Strike-Commander. Wouldn’t want you to be too disappointed when you get your ass kicked.”

Jack smacked Gabe’s hand away from his face, “It’s on, Reyes.”

Gabriel watched Jack spin on his heel and stalk out of the room, a smile on his face. He thought to the ring, tucked within a too-expensive box nestled between the leaves of a fake plant sitting in the corner of their bedroom and of the plans he was going to make the next morning. Jack took his grilling seriously and Gabriel knew it. That would offer him plenty of time to figure out how he would everything off the next day.

But that didn’t mean Gabe was going to let Jack win. Far from it.

***

Grocery shopping was easy enough, especially without Jack breathing down his neck about what meat looked the best to buy. It was a wonder Gabriel had convinced him to stay behind, and any other day he would have found it suspicious that his boyfriend wasn’t texting him like a madman to make sure he got the right ingredients for his steaks. But he hadn’t bothered him, not once, and if Gabriel had been paying attention to that instead of trying to figure out Jack’s favorite candy, he likely would have texted him just to be sure he was okay.

Of course he would never word it like that. He would probably just send a picture of the wrong kind of steak to see his reaction, or grind his gears by sending purposefully out of focus, blurry snaps of whatever he plans to buy.

But, as Gabriel stood in the candy aisle, fingers tapping against the handle of the grocery cart in front of him, that was the least of his worries. No, at that moment, for the first time since childhood, he was considering buying sweets. During the military and the Soldier Enhancement Program, both himself and Jack had gotten used to the strict healthy diets imposed upon them. Neither had had candy for years, and Gabriel couldn’t name his own favorite type, nevertheless his boyfriend’s.

His eyes hovered over the chocolates for a moment, memories of sharing the sweet candy bar with his mother as a young boy, but the idea of giving it to Jack made him think of shitty romance movies, so he was quick to move on. Maybe something more festive would be good -- they were on vacation, after all, why not celebrate it? He spotted a large bag of Skittles, the bright colored circles of candy drawing him in. He smiled as he put it in the cart, thinking it the perfect gift for a potentially romantic night.

***

Jack had gone to settle down in the bedroom of the beach house, tired from the flight and, admittedly, wanting to keep an eye on the little black box that remained shoved in the very fake potted plant. It sat in the middle of the leaves, held up as if on a pedestal made from plastic and paper.

He wasn’t about to touch it and leave his fingerprints all over it, he just wanted to make sure no one took it, that was all.

Pretending to watch TV, Jack sat on the bed cross-legged, though his straight-backed posture and tensed shoulders were a bit of a tell-all. It was only after a half an hour that he began to relax, leaning back against the pillows, and realizing that he was watching an infomercial.

He frowned, hand searching in vain for the remote -- which remained at the foot of the bed, where he had seated himself earlier. Lethargy held him firm, however, so he let himself watch the man and woman present whatever it was they were attempting to sell. He dozed for a while, watching scenes of the couple hooking up what looked to be a surveillance camera in an inconspicuous fake plant.

The camera zoomed in on a tiny black box with a small lens on the front. It was barely visible within the infomercial’s plant, and the actor playing the burglar crept past without even acknowledging its existence.

“Never be afraid to leave your home again! With our discreet, high-tech cameras, no burglar will be the wiser.” The woman exclaimed from off-screen.

Jack’s eyes shifted to his own potted plant and the box hidden within its wax-paper leaves. He wanted to jump up and snatch it out of its hiding place, to stare right into its mocking lens and into the eyes of whoever was behind Gabriel’s odd behavior. But he remained nestled against the pillows at his back, instead thinking of all the reasons Gabriel could possibly have for wanting to put a surveillance camera in their temporary bedroom.

He frowned at the thought of Gabriel being blackmailed into giving information to a crime syndicate. Or, worse yet, not having to be forced, but giving the information of his own volition. What kind of footage was in that camera, anyways? Was it just Jack, or did it contain dirt on the whole of both Overwatch and Blackwatch? And why would he bother to bring it on their vacation?

Jack was half a second away from standing up and striding over to the plant-turned-pedestal, screwing patience and satisfying curiosity all in one go, when he heard the door to the beach house open. He paused. He couldn’t let Gabriel know he was onto him, not anymore than he probably already did, at least. So he returned to the living room to greet his boyfriend with a gruff, “Have any trouble finding what we need?”

Gabriel smiled, “Who do you think I am? Of course I didn’t.”

Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t know a good steak when it’s sitting, already cooked, on a plate in front of you.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes, “You’re just jealous,”

“Of what?”

“My superior grilling skills. Now, go get the coals started while I put these groceries away.”

Jack frowned. Was Gabe planning to move the camera while he wasn’t looking? Perhaps check whatever footage he got? Jack pushed the thoughts out of his mind and held out a hand for Gabriel to give him the bag of coals and a lighter. Their fingers brushed together and Gabriel winked at him before turning back to the bags left on the counter and shuffling through them, but not taking anything out.

He glanced Jack’s way, surprised to find him still standing there, just staring at him, and smirked, flexing his arm. “Enjoying the view?”

Jack scowled and slung the coals over his shoulder without even a grunt of effort. “Only in your dreams, Reyes.”

Gabriel laughed as Jack turned to walk out the back door and start the grill. As soon as he was out of sight, however, he whirled back to the grocery bags. He pulled out a few squat candles from one, the pack of Skittles from another, and finally a small bouquet of mismatched flowers. The woman at the counter had named a few, cooing the names like they were a firstborn child, but Gabriel couldn’t remember what any of them were.

Footsteps sounded from the back door, and Gabriel was quick to shove the assorted items he bought in the cabinet under the sink and move back to the other bags, like nothing had happened. Jack was twirling the lighter between his fingers -- a habit that made Gabriel smile, remembering the first time they had grilled out together. It was a short event, something they had both craved and discussed while in the SEP and finally made happen once they got out. It had been the first cookout of many.

“Have trouble lighting them?”

Jack grinned, “What do you think I am?” He said, mimicking Gabriel from earlier. “Of course I didn’t.”

“Oh, how original Jack, using my own words against me.”

Jack strode up next to him and began pulling items out of the grocery bags, “I aim to please,” he grunted, the remnants of a smile still on his lips. Some of the bags were empty, though none of their contents were to be found. What is he hiding? Jack wondered, placing a package of steaks out on the counter followed by a myriad of spices and other supplies.

“No corn?” He asked, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. Growing up in Indiana, he should have been sick of the stuff, but there was something about corn on the cob that just made a steak-dinner right.

Gabriel scoffed, grabbing a plastic bag of produce and holding it up, “What’s a good steak without an even better side?”

Jack didn’t know if better was the right word, but he smiled nonetheless, snatching the package from Gabriel’s hand and opening it up to check the corn over. They weren’t yet shucked -- something that would no doubt come along with dumb jokes like “Hey Gabe, let’s go shuck.” or “Wanna shuck?” or anything in between. It was inevitable.

Gabe saw the glint in his boyfriend’s eyes. “Don’t even say it, Morrison,” he warned.

“Wanna shuck, Gabe?”

Gabriel groaned, pushing on Jack’s shoulder and nudging him towards the door, “Go check on the coals, asshole.”

***

By the time the steaks were done, the sky was turning shades of hazy purple, brightening the clouds with its colors. Gabriel had stepped away from the grill for a moment to set the table. Jack had offered to help, but was quickly shut down.

“We don’t want to ruin vacation by burning down the beach house and having to pay for the damages,”

Jack had given in, though Gabriel suspected it was mostly to make sure his steaks didn’t overcook rather than any concern for the beach house. But, he was glad for it despite his boyfriend’s reasoning, as it gave him a chance to find the nicer plates up in the cupboards and set them out, placing them across from each other. Did the fork go on the left or the right? He picked a side and went with it. He doubted Jack would really care about those kinds of table-manners, anyways.

Finding a vase for the flowers took a bit longer, and trying to find another lighter (as it would be suspicious if he walked outside again for a lighter he supposedly wouldn’t need) proved worse. Who has just one lighter, anyway? He would certainly be more prepared in his own house. But, all complaints aside, the table was set, the candles lit, and the flowers arranged in the middle of the it all. He debated putting the Skittles out, too, but decided to leave that for after dinner.

“Steaks are ready. What’s all this for?”

Gabriel turned around, not expecting Jack to be standing so close behind him, a plate of steaming meat balanced on one hand and one of corn -- still wrapped in tin-foil casings to protect them as they cooked -- on the other. Jack was looking past him, eyebrows raised at the short, fat candles and the flower arrangement.

“Are you trying to be romantic?”

“Trying? I think I succeeded, Jackie, by the look on your face.”

Jack shuffled his feet, avoiding eye contact. No one had ever set up candles for him, and flowers might as well be an anomaly from a distant planet. “I don’t know what to say,”

“‘You’re the best, most talented boyfriend in the world’ would work. Or, even better, just admit that my steaks are better than yours.”

Jack would have shoved him if he wasn’t holding their dinner, but the glare he shot him was scathing enough to earn a soft laugh, so he figured that would have to suffice. “Just eat your damn dinner before I regret making it for you,”

Gabriel whistled, “Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed?”

Placing the plates down, careful not to let the corn roll off the edge and onto the table, Jack wanted more than ever to throttle his boyfriend. “I don’t get embarrassed. I’m just surprised.” He grunted, shifting to take a seat.

Gabriel was there, pulling out his chair for him, grinning, “Whatever you say,”

“Such a gentleman.” Jack deadpanned.

Laughing, Gabriel took his own seat and filled his plate, eyes warm in the low candlelight. Jack did the same, reaching over the flower arrangement to get a slab of still-hot steak. He blinked, eyes itching slightly, but ignored it, passing it off as standing in the smoke of the grill for too long.

As per usual on their grill-offs, the two men would taste each other’s creations first and then judge them, and Jack had to admit that he was almost excited for Gabriel to taste his. He hadn’t had time to grill in a while, the last time being a small get-together of high-ranking Overwatch and Blackwatch agents where Lena had almost bowled everyone over in her excitement to eat. He remembered how McCree made fun of him and Gabriel, telling them they were the epitome of a bad dad joke with how they were acting around the grill. It had been a nice time.

“Are you counting down or am I?” Gabe asked.

It was tradition to take the first bite together.

“You do it,”

Gabriel smiled, cutting off a piece of meat and spearing it on his fork, holding it up in front of his face. “Three…”

Jack did the same, but had to pause to rub the back of his hand over one of his eyes.

“Two…”

God, why was he so damn itchy? Jack felt his eyes begin to water.

“One.”

The two took a bite at the same time. Gabriel hummed, closing his eyes and concentrating, thinking of the critiques he would give. The water in Jack’s eyes spilled over, droplets staining his pale cheeks, his eyes hazy and red. He tried to rub at them, to get whatever had gotten in them out because shit, it was uncomfortable.

Gabriel opened his eyes to find his boyfriend crying. His cooking couldn’t be that bad, surely. Or maybe Jack hadn’t liked the candles or the attention he was being given? Gabe felt his chest constrict, his throat close up in an attempt to keep him from vomiting. “Jack, are you crying?”

Jack groaned, gazing at him with one reddened eyes, “No, why the hell would I be crying?”

“Those are tears, Jack. And your eyes are red.”

“My eyes are itchy, that’s all.”

Gabriel frowned. Was it something he had said? He gripped the edge of the chair with one hand, eyebrows knitted together. “You sure it isn’t just your amazement at my superior cooking skills?”

Jack actually laughed at that one, “Superior my ass! Though, you are improving.”

They were quiet for a moment, Jack finally picking up his napkin to wipe the tears from his eyes, but they just continued to flow. Then he remembered the flowers.

“I think it’s the flowers,”

“What?”

“I think I’m allergic to the flowers,”

Gabriel felt his heart sink. Dammit, he knew he had gone too far with those. “I have an easy solution for that,” he said, standing up and grabbing the vase. He opened the door and dumped them out in one of the trashcans before returning, placing the empty vase on the counter and seating himself once more. “Easy,” he said, though he couldn’t help the frown on his face.

The rest of dinner was relatively quiet, save for the jabs at each other’s cooking skills and the occasional hum of approval. It was uneventful, until Gabriel stood up, announcing that he had one more surprise.

“You’re full of those today, huh?” Jack asked, his eyes significantly less irritated after Gabriel tossed the flowers outside.

Gabriel scoffed, pulling the pack of Skittles out from a cupboard under the sink. “I’m always surprising, I don’t know if you knew that.”

“Not when I’ve known you for as long as I have.”

“So, you don’t want the surprise?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Gabriel turned, hands behind his back, eyebrows raised, “So you like it when I surprise you?”

Jack’s face flushed, “I didn’t say that, either.”

Gabriel approached him and kneeled down, and for a split second Jack felt his heart pick up. Was he about to propose?

Was that what the black box was -- a ring? He shrank back, blinking wildly at the thought. Gabriel had been acting strange, it would explain things.

Gabe held out a small bag of Skittles, the packaging a bright green and the brand name spanning across the front.

“Oh,” he breathed, though he was unsure if he felt relieved or still wanted to throw up. Ideas of proposals quickly vanished -- the black box became a surveillance camera, once again, and suspicion remained firm in Jack’s mind. “I haven’t had candy since I was a kid,”

“I figured it would be a nice change. We normally eat so well, we deserve something filled to the brim with sugar every now and then.”

Jack took the bag from him, “Did you have to be so melodramatic about it?”

Standing up, Gabriel shrugged, “Hey, I don’t have a statue to pick up the slack. I’m on my own here,”

Jack snorted, punching him in the arm and tearing open the bag as Gabriel rummaged through the fridge and picked out two cold beers, uncapping them and placing one in front of Jack as he picked up one of the Skittles from the bag. It didn’t look how he remembered -- it had more powdery, crystallized stuff on the outside rather than the smooth surface he had grown accustomed to as a child. But that had been years ago, so, with a shrug, he popped one of the little orbs in his mouth.

He immediately regretted it. Sourness bit his tongue, and he choked for a moment, spitting out the green Skittle into his napkin as Gabe watched in horror while his romantic plans died before his eyes. “Jesus, what are these?” They certainly weren’t the Skittles from his childhood. He picked up the bag once more, Gabriel leaning over his shoulder to see as well, and discovered that these were not regular Skittles. They were sour ones.

Gabe’s face felt hot with embarrassment. He was supposed to be good at this -- he was Gabriel Reyes, he was supposed to be good at most everything. But the flowers… the sub-par steaks… the damn sour Skittles. At this rate, Jack would likely want to break up with him rather than marry him.

“Well…” Jack said, “You tried.”

That limp reassurance didn’t make him feel any less foolish. Gabe’s plan for the next day ran all through his head as he and Jack did the dishes, drank another round of beers, and finally curled up in bed together. He had to nail it tomorrow. He had to propose, or else he wouldn’t get the chance to again.

Well, he would, but who wants to propose in one of the main hubs of Overwatch? That seemed underwhelming -- something Gabriel was not about to let this proposal be. Jack would remember this vacation, view it as a milestone of their relationship, or Gabriel would die trying.

Lying together, a short distance apart, Jack tried not to think about the infomercial he saw earlier. Maybe he was just being paranoid -- maybe that box has always been hidden in the plant, and he was just being unfair. That night, he dreamt of dark figures watching him at a distance, of Gabriel caught under their shadows, eyes downcast and ashamed.

***

“I made us lunch plans,” Gabriel said, tipping his head back to look at Jack upside-down from the couch.

Jack had just woken up -- his eyes were still glazed, his mouth was a bit puffier, and his hair was sticking up in all directions. He flopped down next to Gabriel and grumbled, pressing his face into one of the cushions.

“Lunch? I just woke up.”

“Yeah, well I made reservations at a place so you’ll have to get dressed in like half an hour.”

Jack groaned, kicking out one foot to hit Gabriel in the leg, “Fine, fine, since you made reservations.”

But that was strange, wasn’t it? Gabriel was more of a go with the flow kind of person, just finding a place and eating, not planning it out when it came to his regular life. The fact that he had thought ahead said something in its own, but Jack was too tired to want to think about it. He hadn’t slept well, what with the bad dreams, but that was nothing unusual.

“Want some coffee?” Gabriel offered, pushing Jack’s leg off of his lap.

“Please.,”

The late morning came and went, and Jack wouldn’t have noticed the box’s disappearance if he hadn’t glanced its way when he was getting dressed for his lunch date. He frowned, striding over to the plant and sifting through its paper leaves. There was a slight impression of where it had been, but nothing else to betray the fact that it was there at all.

Gabriel was definitely planning something. Or, his crime boss was, at least. Jack would have to talk to him about it, perhaps when they were somewhere else -- not on vacation. Overwatch would be able to pull him out of it, for sure, with their resources. He felt pride in his chest at the thought, but kept his guard up even on the way to the restaurant.

It was a nice place, really, but not one Jack would have expected to have reservations available. Small and open, it sat on the side of the beach with its windows cracked to let the air ventilate the place naturally along with the air conditioning. It was packed with people chatting and eating, and the background noise was an odd comfort as the waitress got them a seat outside. The sidewalk was clean, and the little wooden tables and chairs were comfortable to sit in.

Flowers hung from the overhang above them, all sorts of colors and bunched up together in little hanging pots near the windows. It felt private, despite the world being right in front of them and the people walking past, and as Jack settled down in his chair across from Gabriel, his shoulders relaxed and he all at once realized that he was really on vacation.

Neither of them had dressed special for the occasion, Jack wearing a pair of jean shorts and a white shirt with the sleeves cut off, showing off the scars riddling his body. He wasn’t ashamed -- and by the way he caught Gabriel eying him every now and then, he actually felt more confident.

Gabriel stuck with his beanie, black shirt and dark-washed jeans combo, an outfit he often frequented and Jack made fun of him for. He looked like a shadow, really, with his pretty dark skin and even darker clothes on top. But it fit him, nonetheless, and it kept up the more intimidating Blackwatch Commander vibe he tended to go for.

The two of them ordered a couple of beers -- Gabriel exclaiming that it wasn’t too early for a cold drink, and Jack shaking his head, though not disagreeing. But Gabriel seemed more… shifty than usual. He squirmed in the rickety wooden chair and more often than not seemed to look past Jack than at him.

“The beer not to your liking or something?” Jack asked.

“Hm?” Gabriel’s eyes flashed down to the beer on the table. “No, it’s fine. Just wondering where our waitress is.”

“I’ll go inside and find her,” Jack said, standing up.

Gabe opened his mouth to protest, but Jack cut him off with a wave of his hand, “I have to take a leak anyway, don’t worry about it.”

When he stepped into the restaurant, Gabriel let out a breath of relief. The anticipation was at an all-time high, and though he didn’t want to admit it, his hands were a bit shaky underneath the table. It was a wonder Jack hadn’t noticed yet. Or perhaps he had, and was running away instead of going to the bathroom so he didn’t have to tell him no to his face.

He wouldn’t say no, would he? He and Gabriel had been together for years and friends for even longer, their relationship was going pretty strong. A few mess-ups weren’t going to change that. But Gabriel couldn’t help but feel a tinge of anxiety in his gut, like he was about to go on some dangerous mission instead of asking his long-time boyfriend to marry him. It was childish, really, there was no reason to be afraid. Jack would say yes. Of course he would. Who wouldn’t?

The waitress returned before Jack did, only making the harsh fluttering in the pit of his stomach worse. He ordered for the both of them, figuring he knew well enough what Jack liked not to mess up something as simple as lunch. When the waitress turned around, he felt at his pocket just to be sure that the ring was still there, safe and sound within it’s velvety encasement, and breathed a sigh of relief just at the feel of it.

Jack returned before Gabriel got paranoid enough to look inside and make sure he hadn’t run out on him, smiling as he took the seat across from him once more. “Did the waitress ever show up? I didn’t see her in there when I walked through,”

Gabe felt the tension in his shoulders rise once more, and became hyper-aware of the weight of the ring in his front pocket. “Yeah, I ordered for the two of us already.”

“Another surprise?” Jack teased, and Gabriel scowled at him, kicking his foot under the table.

“No, I just got you steak and fries with a salad.”

Jack hummed, “Oh,”

“Was that wrong?”

“No, I just was thinking of trying their burger,”

“I can catch up with her and change it, won’t be hard,” Gabriel said, groaning internally. Jack always ordered the steak, and now (now?!) he tries something new. His grand gesture of ordering something Jack liked now felt like a controlling power move, an uncaring show of who’s in charge.

Jack scoffed, grabbing his wrist from across the table and tugging downward, “Don’t be ridiculous, it’s fine. Just drink your beer.”

Gabriel was slow to sink back into his chair.

Averting his gaze, Gabe tapped his foot on the ground, staring at a shop down the sidewalk where a man stepped out, a light and dark brown dog with pointed ears following close behind. He couldn’t tell what breed it was, but he didn’t need to. It looked perfectly happy to trail after its owner.

The waitress returned with their meals, placing a large sandwich and bowl of tomato soup in front of Gabriel and Jack’s steak, fries, and salad in front of him. It smelled delicious, and the waitress smiled at the two men, wishing them a good meal before departing to clean one of the windows.

Jack eyed Gabriel when he wasn’t looking, wary of whatever he was planning. Perhaps he could stop him, talk to him first before anything happened. Meanwhile, Gabe swallowed his nerves and pulled the ring out of his pocket, attempting to be nonchalant. Jack noticed his squirming, and tensed.

Gabriel froze, then, and Jack did too. “Hey, uh, Jack?” Oh no. He sounded serious.

Jack met his eyes, “Yeah?”

Gabriel moved his hand out from under the table, Jack leaned back, half-expecting a weapon.

“Will you--” Gabriel started, but was cut off. The dog jumped onto their table, knocking their food onto the ground with a loud crash. Gabe gasped, eyes going wide as he saw the box -- opened, the ring glittering within it -- fly from his hand.

“Oh shit!” He exclaimed, standing up and trying to catch it to no avail.

The dog was quickly yanked back by the owner, “Oh my god,” Gabriel heard him say, “I am so sorry, she’s normally not like this. I can pay you back, I promise.”

Gabriel was still, staring at the spot he last saw the ring before turning to glare at the owner.

“You--!”

“It’s fine,” Jack interrupted with, now standing too. Gabriel stopped, eyes still boring into the dog owner’s. “No worries at all, right Gabriel?”

Gabriel let out a breath through his nose. He needed to calm down. “Right,” he managed, teeth still grit.

Jack led him to sit somewhere else, but didn’t offer him the same courtesy as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Why the hell did you bring a surveillance camera on our vacation,” he deadpanned.

Gabriel, who was still searching the area with his eyes for the ring, was only half paying attention. “What are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about. The crime syndicate you’re involved with? I know about it,”

That got Gabriel’s attention. “Jack, what the fuck are you talking about?”

“You’ve been acting weird for months, planning things, disappearing, not telling me shit when it happens. You’ve been more distracted than ever. Not to mention, the camera you hid in the fake plant back at the beach house.”

Gabriel blinked, and then slumped down. “Jack, you’re the dumbest idiot I think I’ve ever met. I’ve been trying to propose to you, not spy on you.”

Jack went still, arms dropping from being crossed over his chest to fall limp at his sides. “What?”

“I was going to ask you to marry me, but every time I tried, things kept going wrong. It was going to be a surprise.”

“Is that why you’ve been acting like a dumbass?”

“I wasn’t, I was just trying to--”

Jack’s raised eyebrows and pointed expression stopped him in his tracks.

“Look, it doesn’t matter now, I don’t know where the ring went and what the hell is a proposal without one of those?”

Jack was about to say that that didn’t matter, but the dog owner approached, looking shy to butt back into their lives. “Excuse me? I’m sorry I know I’m probably the last person you want to see, but I believe this is one of yours…” He held out the velvet ring-box, eyes downcast.

Gabriel stood up so quickly that he knocked the chair he was sitting in over as he took the item back from the man. “Thank you,” he said, grinning wide. “We’ll call it even, how about that?”

The man beamed, “Thank you! I’m sorry for ruining your date!”

Once he was gone, his dog in tow, Gabe turned back to his boyfriend, brushing off some of the dirt that had gotten onto the box from the fall. “So, you gonna marry me?” He asked, meeting Jack’s eyes.

Jack scoffed, face dusted a light pink when he felt the eyes of bystanders’ on them. “After all this bullshit? Of course.”

Gabriel grinned, “I knew you’d say yes.”

“Did you?”

“Hell yeah,” he said, approaching Jack to pull him in for a gentle kiss, their lips brushing for the barest of a moment before pulling away, not wanting to share the moment too long with the public around them. “Who wouldn’t want to marry me?”

Jack let out a quiet laugh, “I can still say no, you know,”

Gabriel grinned, grasping Jack’s left hand and sliding the ring -- silver and topped with a lovely diamond, but otherwise elegant in its simplicity -- onto his finger. “I doubt you could ever say no to me, Jackie,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to Jack’s cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> http://brewhay.tumblr.com/post/167417337304/hey-look-its-my-piece-for-the-reaper76-reverse
> 
> Yo check out the art this is based on! I’ll clean up the link when I’m not in a spot with garbage wifi


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